This invention relates to water control apparatus for use in showers and in particular to apparatus for controlling water flow from a water outlet to a shower head or rose of a shower.
Current conventional shower apparatus usually include separate hot and cold taps which supply water to a threaded shower wall outlet located at a convenient height above the taps and a shower rose or nozzle which is threadably coupled to the outlet. Adjustment of the hot and/or cold taps enables hot and cold water to be mixed and delivered to the shower rose for dispersal over the user. Such an arrangement often requires regular manual adjustment of the hot and/or cold taps to maintain the water at a desired temperature pressure and/or flow particularly when starting the shower to reach a desired temperature/pressure for the user to shower. In such systems also the user cannot simply interrupt the mains water flow without also adjusting the temperature and pressure each time when the water is needed resulting in wastage of water whilst adjusting taps to the desired previous temperature/pressure.
Current systems in use which are designed to reduce wastage of water include systems which incorporate shower loses which limit flow of water by the incorporation of a flow restricting plate having a plurality of small openings therein however the effect to the user is not fully acceptable. Other systems incorporate an inbuilt water mixer valve with an adjustable single lever for pressure and temperature adjustment. These inbuilt systems usually require rile removal and/or wall renovation if required to be installed into existing showers. Usually, this is required to be done by plumbers resulting in high costs. Some pressure adjustment is still required for the mains water mixer to achieve a stop/start shower.
Other on/off systems utilise rotatable shower roses having a temporary pause feature requiring the user to stretch up to turn the rose head to pause the water. This can be difficult for children, the short and the elderly. In addition, the turning feature of the rose can often attract soap and dirt from the user""s hands while showering over time and can became calcified and difficult to shift. Being a temporary pause, the hot and cold taps still have to be closed after showering and then turned on and readjusted for subsequent showers.
Australian Petty Patent No 674280 describes Shower apparatus which incorporates a control valve for controlling flow and pressure to a shower head, the valve being located in a shower arm which may be pivoted downwardly for access by a user. This apparatus however has a number of disadvantages. The valve controls both pressure and flow to control the flow of water incrementally and does not provide a desirable on/off effect. The valve is often hot to touch and also is not conveniently located, requiring the arm carrying the shower head to be pivoted downwardly for use which in the case of a running shower is obviously inconvenient resulting in water spraying from the shower head in all directions as the arm is pivoted downwardly and/or upwardly. In addition, this apparatus requires a new replacement shower arm and shower head which adds to expense and may not match the existing shower set furniture.
The present invention aims to overcome or alleviate one or more of the above disadvantages or at least provide an alternative to the above arrangements by providing control apparatus for use with an existing shower set and plumbing which alleviates the problem of water wastage and which is convenient to use. The present invention further aims to provide water control apparatus for shower apparatus which enables the required temperature and pressure of water to be effectively set and flow thereafter controlled. Other objects and advantages of the invention will became apparent from the following description.
The present invention thus provides in a first aspect control apparatus for a shower having a shower wall, an elevated threaded water outlet extending through said wall and regulating means on said wall for regulating the pressure and temperature of water for flow through said water outlet, said apparatus including a housing, said housing being threaded at one end for connection to said threaded water outlet and at its opposite end for connection to a shower read or shower arm connected to said shower head, said housing including a water flow passage extending therethrough from said one end to said opposite end, a rotatable quarter-turn valve member in said housing for controlling flow from said regulating means through said passage and in use to said shower head or shower arm connected to said shower head, a valve actuating arm connected to said valve member for effecting rotation thereof, said valve actuating arm being located externally of said housing and having a free end remote from its connection to said valve member, and an elongated rigid operating member pivotally connected to the free end of said arm so as to be pivotally movable towards and away from said shower wall, said operating member freely hanging from said valve actuating arm, said operating member terminating in a hand grip located in use adjacent said regulating means but spaced from said wall, and wherein said hand grip may be grasped and moved vertically to move said operating member in opposite directions to cause rotation of said valve actuating arm and said valve member and permit flow of water through or prevent flow of water through said flow passage to said shower head or shower arm connected to said shower head, and wherein when said valve member is in a position permitting said flow through said flow passage, vertical downward movement of said operating member causes said valve member to move to a position preventing flow through said flow passage.
The present invention provides in a further aspect in a shower of the type having a shower wall an elevated threaded water outlet extending through said wall and means on said wall for regulating the pressure and temperature of wafer for flow through said water outlet shower water control apparatus including a valve assembly threadably connected to said water outlet and connected to a shower head or shower arm connected to said shower head for controlling the flow of water from said outlet to said shower head or shower arm connected to said shower head, said valve assembly including a rotatable valve member and an actuating arm connected to said valve member for effecting rotation thereof, an elongated rigid valve operating member pivotally connected to said actuating arm so as to be pivotally movable towards and away from said wall, said operating member being free hanging from said actuating arm and extending to a position adjacent said regulating means, and wherein when said valve member is in a closed position preventing water flow from said water outlet to said shower head or shower arm, upward movement of said operating member causes through said actuating arm rotation of said valve member away from said closed position to an open position to permit flow of water from said water outlet to said shower head or shower arm and wherein when said valve member is in a said open position downward movement of said operating member causes through said actuating arm rotation of said valve member towards said closed position to prevent flow of water to said shower head or shower arm.
Typically the regulating means comprises taps in the form of hot and cold taps of known configuration and a hand grip is provided at the end of the valve operating member and located in use intermediate the taps. The hot and cold taps may thus be adjusted to achieve the required temperature and pressure with flow to the shower head subsequently controlled by the control apparatus.
Alternatively, the regulating means may comprise a single mixing tap of known configuration such as a lever operated tap which may be adjusted initially to achieve the required temperature and pressure of water.
Preferably also the operating member includes or comprises a shield or cover which covers the regulating means to prevent inadvertent operation thereof after the latter have been adjusted to set the temperature and pressure required. The shield may be fixed to the operating member in which case access to the regulating means may be achieved by moving the operating member outwardly away from the regulating means or to one side of the regulating means. The shield or cover alternatively may be hingedly or pivotally mounted to the operating member for movement about a horizontal axis so that it may be hinged or pivoted upwardly to allow access to the regulating means whilst in its normal position, it adopts a generally vertical attitude overlying the regulating means. The shield or cover may incorporate means to facilitate gripping and lifting thereof.
The present invention thus provides in a further aspect, control apparatus for a shower of the type having a shower wall, an elevated water outlet extending through said wall and regulating means on said wall for regulating the pressure and temperature of water for flow through said water outlet, said apparatus including a valve assembly adapted to be threadably connected to said water outlet and to a shower head or shower arm connected to said shower head for controlling water flow from said outlet to said shower head or shower arm connected to said shower read an elongated valve operating member connected to said valve assembly and being free hanging therefrom, said operating member extending to a position adjacent said regulating means for allowing control of said valve assembly from said position, and a shield or cover connected to said operating member for shielding said regulating means to prevent inadvertent operation after adjustment thereof.
Where the regulating means comprises hot and cold taps or a single mixing tap, a guide or guides may be provided on the operating member for location between or on opposite sides of the tap or taps to limit lateral movement of the operating member. Suitably, the or each guide is located on the rear of the shield or cover.
The valve assembly may comprise any form of valve but suitably is of the type which has a valve member which is rotatable between an open and closed position. Typically the valve member may comprise a standard quarter turn mini ball-valve member. Suitably the valve member includes a turning spindle to which an actuating arm is attached. If necessary biasing means may be provided to assist opening and closing of the valve member. Suitably such biasing means is in the form of a spring tending to urge the valve member to a closed position.